Guide for the picker stick of a loom



Ja n. 9, 1968 M. E. MOREIRA 3,362,

GUIDE FOR THE PICKER STICK OF A LOOM Filed April 29, 1966 INVENTOR MANUEL E. MOREIRA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,362,438 GUIDE FOR THE PICKER STICK OF A LOOM Manuel E. Moreira, 830 Langley St., Fall River, Mass. 02710 Filed Apr. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 546,283 7 Claims. (Cl. 139-164) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A picker stick guide and check comprising a pair oi endless belts located on either side of the picker stick slot in the lay so as to guide the picker stick from engagement with the opposite sides of the slot in the lay and so spaced as to friction with the picker stick and be moved about drums with increasing pressure on the picker stick to check the picker stick in its outward movement.

A picker stick extends into a slot in the lay beam of a loom and during its reciprocating movement engages the opposite sides of the slot which causes wear and tear on the sides of the slot of the lay beam and also on the picker stick. A check for the picker stick is usually provided, but this check does not, as a rule, guide the picker stick so that it is centralized in the slot but rather would permit of the picker stick engaging the opposite sides of the slot which would cause the wear above referred to.

In the invention of this application a means is provided to guide the picker stick in its movement in the slot of the lay beam so as to prevent the picker stick from engaging the opposite sides of the slot, and in accomplishing this I have provided a pair of endless belts mounted on the underside of the lay beam and so located that the picker stick is centralized in the slot and spaced from the opopposite sides of the slot; thus, as the picker stick travels in the slot, it is in engagement with these belts which may move or travel by the frictional engagement which they have with the picker stick and also serve as a check, the belts traveling around drums which may be adjusted so as to locate the belts as desired.

An object of this invention is to so centralize the picker stick that it will not touch and wear the opposite sides of the slot of the lay beam in which it is located.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustment so that the location of the picker stick may be centralized in the slot as desired and also serve as a check for the picker stick.

Another object of this invention is to provide belts which are traveling on edge vertically with a means to prevent the belts from slipping from the drums upon which they are mounted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a more perfect throw of the picker stick as it is driven to propel the shuttle across the loom lay.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmental perspective view showing a portion of the loom lay and a portion of the picker stick with means for guiding the picker stick in the slot in the loom lay beam;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view on a somewhat smaller scale of the picker stick slot and the two belts of this invention in their location with reference thereto;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bracket and one of the belts mounted upon the drums carried by the bracket; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 3.

With reference to the drawings, designates generally one end of a loom lay which is provided with a slot 11.

extending lengthwise of the lay, there being a slot at each end of the lay for receiving the two opposed picker sticks of the loom. One such picker stick 12 has its end 13 which carries the picker located in this slot and by usual means the picker stick is caused to reciprocate in this slot to engage the shuttle and throw it across the lay of the loom and along the reed which is carried by the lay beam. In order to guide the picker stick in its movement in the slot, I have provided means located beneath the lay beam con sisting of a pair of belts 15 and 16 mounted upon drums which are carried by a bracket secured to the underside of the lay beam.

The bracket 20 consists of an elongated metal bar having fingers 21 and 22 extending laterally therefrom which are each turned downwardly providing a flange as at 23 and 24 as may be seen in FIG. 1. A slotted arm 25 is pivoted on a stud 26 at one end of the bracket While a shaft 27 is carried by the other end of arm 25 upon which shaft there is rotatably mounted a drum 28. This arm may be provided with a lip 30 turned upwardly from the arm 25 which may be engaged by a set screw 31 threaded through a flange 23 and engaging the lip 30 so as to swing the drum 28 and its arm about its pivot 26. The set screw 31 may be engaged by its head 32 for rotation and held in position by the check nut 33.

A second arm 35 slotted as at 36 is pivoted as at 37 upon the bracket 20 at one end while it is equipped with a shaft 38 at its other end rotatably mounting a drum 39 on this shaft which may be adjusted along the slot 36 by means of a nut 40. This arm is also provided with a lip 41 extending upwardly therefrom which may be engaged by a set screw 42 threaded through the flange 24 for engagement with the lip 41, the adjustment being through head 43 of the stud or set screw 42 and held in position by the check nut 44.

Each of the drums 28 and 39 are grooved as at 45 shown in FIG. 4, for the drum 39 and the belt 15 is pro vided with a tongue 46 to engage the grooves 45 of the drums so as to hold the belt in position on the drums against sliding vertically off of the drums when the belt is in the vertical position such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The bracket 20 is secured on the underside of the lay beam 10 through holes 47 and 48 by means of screws 49 and 50 (FIG. 2).

A similar but opposite arrangement is provided for the belt 16 with a bracket such as 20 held on the other side of the slot 11 as seen in FIG. 2. This arrangement affords a means for adjusting the drums so as to locate the belt in substantially the position shown in FIG. 2 in slightly flared relation with their edges overlapping the edges of the slot 11 and providing a means so that when the picker stick 12 frictionally engages these belts, it will be centralized in the slot 11 and spaced from the opposite side walls thereof. The belts will be arranged so as to also retard the movement of the picker stick and thus act as a check for the picker stick.

By this arrangement the picker stick is guided in the slot away from the opposite walls thereof so as to prevent any wear between the picker stick and the side walls of the slot in the lay beam, and also by reason of the frictional engagement of the belts with the picker stick, the picker stick is checked in its movement as it approaches the end of the slot. The belts travel in an orbit about their drums and provide a means for distributing the wear between the picker stick and the belt so as to provide a relatively long life and also afford a means whereby a more perfect drive of the picker stick on the shuttle is had.

I claim:

1. In a loom lay having a lay beam with a slot therein and a picker stick in said slot, means secured to the lay Patented Jan. 9, 1968 beam to guide the picker stick in said slot and keep it from engaging the opposite edges of the slot comprising members each movable in an orbit and mounted on said lay beam to be frictionally engaged and moved by the picker stick as it moves in said slot.

2. In a loom lay as in claim 1 wherein said members comprise a pair of spaced members each movable in an orbit to be engaged and moved by the picker stick as it moves in said slot.

3. In a loom lay as in claim 1 wherein said members comprise a pair of spaced endless members each extending a substantial distance along said slot and movable with reference to said lay beam to be frictionally engaged and moved by the picker stick as it moves in said slot.

4. In a loom lay as in claim 1 wherein said members comprise two spaced endless belts each movable by frictional engagement with the picker stick as it moves in said slot.

5. In a loom lay as in claim 1 wherein said members comprise two spaced endless belts each movably mounted 7. In a loom lay as in claim 1 wherein said members comprise two spaced endless belts each movably mounted on a pair of drums to be moved by frictional engagement with the picker stick in said slot, both of said drums for each belt being adjustable toward and from the path of moment of the picker stick in said slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 825,309 7/1906 Field 139--164 1,071,613 8/1913 Field 139164 1,138,660 5/1915 Jones et al. 139164 1,200,846 10/1916 Jones 139-164 2,012,050 8/1935 Payne 139-186 2,184,058 12/1939 Payne 139185 2,646,082 7/ 1953 Franklin et al 139164 2,646,826 7/1953 Franklin 139-164 FOREIGN PATENTS 695,371 8/ 1940 Germany.

1,023,425 1/ 1958 Germany.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

J. KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

